Vulcanizer



June 14, 1932. F. L. JOHNSON VULCANI ZER Filed March 21, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. li/KNK l. J 01mm on A TTORNEYJS June 14, 1932. L JOHNSON 1,863,201

VULCANI Z ER Filed March 21, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

IR'A NK Z Jon/v.5 0A! A TTORNEYS Patented June 14, 1932 PAT-TENT O'FFI C E FRANK L. JOHNSON, OF AKRON, OHIO VULCA-NIZER,

Application filed March.21, 1929. Serial No. 348,817;

The present invention" relates to vulcan izersof the individual or jacketed type, and while especially designed-and intended-for the curing of inner tubes, the princ'ples of Operation may be usefully employed in vulcanizers for other articles than tubes.

The invention has for one of its objects the provision'of-a simple and effective mechanical apparatusfor opening and closing the vulcanizer. VVh'en the vulcanizer is opened,

thecentral or inner portion of the machine is exposed-about its'entire periphery at a convenlent height so that the operator can easily remove a vulcanized tube and substitute an unvulcanized tube there-for. One of the chief advantages of the present device resides in the fact thatthe design of the parts of the vulcanizer and the relative arrangement thereof make it unnecessary to provide any solooking meansto hold the various parts of the vulcanizertogether during the vulcanizing operation. This new and highly beneficial result isobtained'by solocating and relating the parts that the internal pressure, which is applied to the interior of the tube during the vulcaniz'ing operation, will force the inner ring-and the sections'oi the outer jacket-together: The vulcanizer as designed makes it'possible' to secure such a light con- 50- tact between the-various-elements thereof that the overflow orrind is substantially eliminated.

It is alsoan advantage of the improved construction that there isno wear between "the'partsot the jacket. Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in' this art and it'wlll be understood-that the invention'is not necessarily limited to exact conformity with the details shown herein, but may be embodied in other specifically diflerent forms, all within the scope of the inventlon as set forthinthe. claims.

In the drawings, in whichthe preferred form of the invention is shown: Figure 1-isa vertical section through a tube'vu'lcanizer in closed position, showing a tube" therein Figure 2 is a similar section showing the vulcanizer opened 5 Figure 3 is a-section thereof on the line 33 of Figure 1, looking at the under side of the apparatus Figure 4 is a side view; and

Figure 5 is a sidewview of a; modlfiedform.

In the preferred form ofthe invention, the apparatus comprisesa base 1, which is substantially circular in form, being provided centrally with a vertical hydraulic cylinder 2 which is-provlded with inlets above and below the piston or plunger 8. The piston rod extends through the packing 5 at the top of the cylinder and carries at its upper end- .a-cross-headior central plate 6, which is circular; On the edge of the crosshead is located the inner -mold member 8 Wl1l0l1 is shown assupported on the cross-head by a flange 9, the member having an'inner wall 10 which surrounds the plate.

The form of the invention shown herein is designed forthe vulcanization of inner tubesand for this purpose the inner mold member 8, which in thisformofthe invention is in a substantially horizontal, plane, is shown with the trough-shaped recess 12 in its outer periphery. The mold member, which is annular in' form, is provided, as shown, with the. lower side or wall 14 extending beyond or, above the median lineorvwidest portion of the cavity, the upper sidewall 15 being terminated short of or below the median line of thetube. The division lines, asindicated, enable the tube to be placed in the mold withoutunduly stretchingit and support the tube in position before the mold is closed. The division lines also secure the improved re- 1% sults in self-locking, as will be more fully described. The inner mold'memb-er is provided with la -radial passage 16 for the valve stem.

The outer mold member, which is formed complementarily to the inner member, is di-. vided' into two equal semi-circular portions or halves 18, each-having an extended side wall 19 complementary to the wall 15 and a shortened sidewall 20 complementary to the 95 wall 14.

The inne-rand outermold sections are hollow or jacketed for the circulation ofsteamr To support and move the sections of the jacket, there is providedasectional or dijusted to operating position by rotation'in' the base, the position of the pins being fixed by set screws 27. The links are connected and braced by tie rods 28.

The plates are provided with overlapping hinge lugs 30 which are located below the plates and are joined together and to the ,central plate 6by a transverse hinge pin .32.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When the nold is opened, the central platform 6 is raised to the position shown in Figure 2, in which position the annular central or inner member is elevated above the sections of the jacket and is easily accessible for'the insertion of the green or unvulcanized-tube. When the tube is in place, the pressure is relieved from the under side of the piston and the parts move to the position shown in Figure 1, the side plates 22 swinging to horizontal position about the hinge pin 32 and the outer jacket surrounding and enclosing the inner mold member. For the reasons to be given, the outer sections will seat against the inner mold member without any fastening means, but, if desired, pressure on the upper side of the piston will force the sections together.

It will be observed that when the internal pressure is applied to the tube in the mold there will be two distinct sectors enclosed by the lines 35 in which the internal pressure operates against the mold surfaces, forcing the parts together. The unbalanced pressure in the areas, therefore, operates to actually draw the sections of the outer jacket around and in tight fitting contact with the inner mold member. This is due to the fact vulcanized serves to hold the mold together.

Heretofore considerable ingenuity has been expended in devising means for holding the outer mold member .against the inner mold member in tube vulcanizers, whereas in the present invention this result is accomplished by the very mediumwhich, in other designs,

moves the mold members apart.v

In Figure 5 the invention is shownas applied to a vulcanizer in which the mold is vertical instead of horizontal, the mold sections or jacket being opened and closed by hand. In this view the stand is indicated at 36 having an overhanging arm 38 in which is located the vertical hinge pin 39. The inner portion of the mold is indicated at 40 and is mounted on the arm 38. The outer sections of the jacket 42 are carried on the plate 44 which are hinged on the pin 39. In this form the outer jacket sections are movable-in a horizontal plane toward and from their closed position. The pressure on the interior of the tube reacts in thesame man the mold sections together as deso that they are forced by the pressure within the mold more tightly into contact with each other.-

2. A vulcanizer for articles to be cured under internal pressure having a mold comprising an inner section and a sectional and expansible outer jacket, the mold being divided along surfaces to provide an overhanging wall on the jacket, and a movable support for the jacket, the pressure against the overhanging wall tending to move the jacket toward the inner section. V

3. A vulcanizer for articles to be cured under internal pressure having a mold comprising an inner section and a sectional and expansible outer'jacket, the mold being divided along surfaces to provide unbalanced wall surfaces on the inner section and on the j aoket, and movable supports for the inner section and the jacket, the pressure within the mold when closed tending to move the section and the jacket toward one another.

4. A vulcanizer for articles to be cured under internal pressure having a mold comprising an inner section and an outer jacket, the mold being divided along surfaces to provide unbalanced wall surfaces on the inner section and on the jacket, and movable supports for the inner section and the jacket so arranged that the pressure within the mold when closed tending to move the section and the jacket toward one another.

5. A vulcanizer for inner tubes, said vulcanizer comprising an inner ring shaped mold section and a sectional outer jacket, themold cavity being divided between the mold section and the acket along surfaces which provide unbalanced areas above and below the aXis of the tube, and movable mountings for the mold section and the jacket section,

6. A vulcanizer for inner tubes, said vulcanizer comprising an inner ring shaped mold section and a sectional outer acket, the mold cavity being divided between the mold section and the jacket along surfaces which provide unbalanced areas above and below the axis of the tube, and movable mountings for the mold section and the acket section, the direction of the pressure against the unbalanced areas being in the direction of movement of the mountings toward closed position.

7. In a vulcanizer for tubes or the like, an inner ring shaped mold section, a vertically movable support therefor, a divided outer jacket, a swinging support for each section of the acket, and a hinge connection between all of said supports.

8. In a vulcanizer for tubes or the like, a

vertically movable plate, an inner mold sec tion carried on the plate, a pair of hinged plates connected together, an outer jacket section on each plate, and means to move the first named plate vertically and concurrently therewith to rock the hinged plates.

9. In a vulcanizer for tubes or the like, a central plate and a divided outer plate, the parts whereof are hinged together on an axis parallel to the plane of the tube, a ring shaped mold section on the central plate, and mold jacket sections on the outer plate parts.

10. In a vulcanizer for tubes or the like, a central mold section and a divided outer jacket, the sections of the jacket being hinged together and movable from positions outside of the plane of the central mold section to a position in the plane thereof and surrounding the central mold.

11. In a vulcanizer for tubes or the like, a central mold section and a divided outer jacket, the sections of the jacket being hinged together and to the central section and movable from positions outside of the plane of the central mold section to a position in the plane thereof and surrounding the central mold.

12. In a vulcanizer for tubes or the like, a movable central mold section and a divided outer acket, the sections of the jacket and the central section being hinged together on a single pin, means to move the pin, and relatively stationary pivotal mountings for the jacket sections.

13. In a vulcanizer for tubes or the like, a movable central plate, a central mold section on the plate, a hinge pin on the plate, swinging plates mounted on the hinge pin, mold jacket sections on the swinging plates, and secondary pivotal mountings for the swinging plates.

14. In a vulcanizer for tubes or the like, a movable central plate, a central mold section on the plate, a hinge pin on the plate, swinging plates mounted on the hinge pin, mold jacket sections on the swinging plates, secondary pivotal mountings for the swinging plates, and a power actuating means for moving the central plate.

15. In a vulcanizer for tubes or the like, a vertically movable central plate, a pair of swinging plates at the side of the central plate, the swinging plates having relatively fixed fulcrum points and having a common hinged connection with the central plate, and mating mold sections carried by the central plate and the swinging plates.

16. In a vulcanizer for tubes or the like, a vertically movable central plate, a pair of swinging plates at the side of the central plate, the swinging plates having relatively fixed fulcrum points and having a common hinged connection with the central plate, and mating mold sections carried by the central plate and the swinging plates, the said plates being movable toward and from a common plane in which position the mold sections are in contact.

17 In a vulcanizer for tubes or the like, a vertically movable central plate, a pair of swinging plates at the side of the central plate, the swinging plates having relatively fixed fulcrum points and having a common hinged connection with the central plate, mating mold sections carried by the central plate and the swinging plates, and unbalanced surfaces on the mold sections adapted to force the sections together by the internal pressure against the surfaces.

18. In a vulcanizer for tubes or the like, a vertically movable central plate, a pair of swinging plates at the side of the central plate, the swinging plates having relatively fixed fulcrum points and having a common hinged connection with the central plate, mating mold sections carried by the central plate and the swinging plates, the said plates being movable toward and from a common plane in which position the mold sections are in contact, and unbalanced surfaces on the mold sections adapted to force the sections together by the internal pressure against the surfaces.

FRANK L. JOHNSON. 

